Djokovic demolishes Pouille, will face Nadal for title

Novak Djokovic crushed Lucas Pouille 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 in the Australian
Open semifinals. 2015 photo by Paul Bauman

   Novak Djokovic set up a rematch of an epic battle with a near-flawless performance today.
   The top-ranked Djokovic made only five unforced errors in a 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 annihilation of 28th-seeded Lucas Pouille of France in the Australian Open semifinals in Melbourne. The match lasted all of 1 hour, 23 minutes.
   Djokovic, 31, will meet archrival Rafael Nadal, 32, for the title on Sunday at 12:30 a.m. California time (ESPN).
   "I would definitely buy a ticket," Djokovic cracked after disposing of Pouille.
   Djokovic outlasted Nadal 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 in the 2012 Australian Open final. At 5 hours, 53 minutes, it remains the longest Grand Slam title match in history.
   "Once-in-a-lifetime experience," Djokovic recalled, "and hopefully the outcome can be the same for me."
  Djokovic is 27-25 overall and 3-4 in major finals against Nadal. The 2012 marathon is their only meeting in the Australian Open final.
   Nadal has won 17 Grand Slam singles titles, second behind Roger Federer's 20. Djokovic has captured 14, including the last two, to tie with Pete Sampras for third place,
   Six of Djokovic's major crowns have come in the Australian Open, a record he shares with Federer and Roy Emerson.
   Nadal is 1-3 in Australian Open finals, having won in 2009 and lost in 2012, 2014 and 2017.
   Unseeded Samantha Stosur of Australia and Zhang Shuai of China won the women's doubles title, beating second seeds and defending champions Timea Babos of Hungary and Kristina Mladenovic of France 6-3, 6-4.
   Stosur, 34, reached two singles semifinals (2009 and 2010) and two singles quarterfinals (2006 and 2008) in the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford. The tournament moved to San Jose last year as the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic.

Kvitova, Osaka advance to Aussie final; so does Nadal

Petra Kvitova reached her first Grand Slam
final since 2014. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Petra Kvitova, who was severely injured in a 2016 knife attack, today reached her first Grand Slam final since 2014.
   Seeded eighth, Kvitova outslugged unseeded Danielle Collins of St. Petersburg, Fla., 7-6 (2), 6-0 and became the first Czech woman to advance to the Australian Open final since Jana Novotna lost to Monica Seles in 1991.
   The roof on Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne was closed at 4-4 in the first set because of 104-degree (40.0 Celsius) heat.
   Kvitova, who captured the Sydney title two weeks ago, extended her winning streak to 11 matches. She has not lost a set in six Australian Open matches.
   Collins crushed second-seeded Angelique Kerber, who won the first of her three Grand Slam singles titles in the 2016 Australian Open, 6-0, 6-2 in the fourth round.
   Kvitova, the 2011 and 2014 Wimbledon champion, suffered career-threatening cuts to her left (playing) hand in the December 2016 attack at her home in the Czech Republic.
   In her only Northern California appearance, Kvitova reached the quarterfinals of the 2017 and last Bank of the West Classic at Stanford.
   Collins, a two-time NCAA singles champion from the University of Virginia, advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2017 Sacramento Challenger and the semifinals of last year's inaugural Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose.

Naomi Osaka will try to win her second consecutive
major title. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Fourth-seeded Naomi Osaka of Japan prevented an all-Czech final, beating seventh-seeded Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
   Pliskova ousted Serena Williams in the quarterfinals, overcoming a 5-1 deficit in the third set and saving four match points. Williams rolled her left ankle on the first match point.
   Osaka, 21, will seek her second consecutive Grand Slam singles title when she meets Kvitova for the first time on Saturday at 12:30 a.m. California time (ESPN).
   Osaka's first big win came in the 2014 Bank of the West Classic. As a 16-year-old qualifier playing her first main-draw match on the WTA tour, Osaka saved a match point and ousted 2011 U.S. Open champion Samantha Stosur. Pliskova reached the Stanford final the following year, losing to Kerber.
   Second-seeded Rafael Nadal, the 2009 Australian Open champion and a three-time runner-up in Melbourne, outclassed 14th-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas, a 20-year-old Greek, 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 in a men's semifinal.
   "It felt like a different dimension of tennis completely," Tsitsipas told reporters. "He gives you no rhythm. He plays just a different game style than the rest of the players. He has this, I don't know, talent that no other player has. I've never seen a player have this. He makes you play bad."
   Nadal will face either top-ranked Novak Djokovic, a six-time Australian Open champion, or 28th-seeded Lucas Pouille of France for the title on Sunday at 12:30 a.m. (ESPN).
   In the men's doubles semifinals, fifth-seeded Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut of France outclassed unseeded Ryan Harrison of Austin, Texas, and Sam Querrey, a 31-year-old San Francisco native, 6-4, 6-2.
   Herbert and Mahut, who are trying to complete a career Grand Slam in men's doubles, will meet 12th seeds and 2017 champions Henri Kontinen of Finland and John Peers of Australia for the title.

Pliskova stuns Serena with amazing comeback

Karolina Pliskova, shown in 2015, overcame a 5-1 deficit
in the third set to shock Serena Williams in the Australian
Open quarterfinals. Photo by Mal Taam

   Karolina Pliskova said her "mind was in the locker room."
   With good reason.
   Pliskova, the runner-up in the 2015 Bank of the West Classic at Stanford, was playing Serena Williams, a part-time Silicon Valley resident and three-time winner of the now-defunct Bank of the West Classic, today in the Australian Open quarterfinals in Melbourne.
   Williams had a match point serving at 5-1 in the third set when Pliskova wrong-footed her. Williams, seeded 16th, rolled her left ankle and lost the point. She did not call for a trainer but never won another game as Pliskova, seeded seventh, saved three more match points in a stunning 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 victory in Melbourne.
   Pliskova prevented a rematch of last year's controversial U.S. Open final, which 20-year-old Naomi Osaka won for her first Grand Slam title. In today's preceding match at Rod Laver Arena, Osaka beat sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-4, 6-1.
   Williams, 37, was trying to win her record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title and first since the 2017 Australian Open. She has reached two major finals since delivering her first child on Sept. 1, 2017.
   In the men's quarterfinals, 28th-seeded Lucas Pouille of France took out 16th-seeded Milos Raonic of Canada 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-4 to reach his first Grand Slam semifinal. Also, top-ranked Novak Djokovic beat eighth-seeded Kei Nishikori 6-1, 4-1, retired (quadriceps). Nishikori was coming off a 5-hour, 5-minute victory over Pablo Carreno Busta.
   Raonic never lost a set in the SAP Open in San Jose, winning the last three titles (2011-13) before the tournament was discontinued. Djokovic hopes to win his seventh Australian Open singles title and first since 2016.
   Meanwhile, a U.S. men's team reached the doubles semifinals, but it wasn't fourth-seeded Bob and Mike Bryan. Unseeded Ryan Harrison and Sam Querrey, a 31-year-old San Francisco native, topped seventh-seeded Lukasz Kubot of Poland and Horacio Zeballos of Argentina 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.
   The 40-year-old Bryans (Stanford, 1997-98), playing in their first tournament together since last May, lost to Frenchmen Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 7-6 (3). Bob Bryan underwent hip surgery in August.
   The Bryans were seeking their seventh Australian Open men's doubles crown but first since 2013.

Tsitsipas becomes first Greek to reach major semifinal

   It's hard to say what's most impressive about Stefanos Tsitsipas.
   His powerful serve? His flowing one-handed backhand? His poise? His soulfulness?
   The 20-year-old phenom avoided a letdown after ousting Roger Federer, beating 22nd-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) today to reach the Australian Open semifinals in Melbourne.
   "I'm just living the dream, living what I've been working hard for," Tsitsipas, seeded 14th, said in an on-court interview. "I feel a bit emotional but not too much because I really worked hard to get here, the semis of a Grand Slam."
   Tsitsipas blasted 22 aces and won 84 percent of the points on his first serve (62 of 74). He became the first Greek and youngest man since Novak Djokovic in the 2007 U.S. Open to reach a Grand Slam semifinal.
   Tsitsipas will face second-seeded Rafael Nadal, who dismantled unseeded Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. Tiafoe, who turned 21 on Sunday, won the $100,000 Stockton Challenger in 2016 at age 18.
   Danielle Collins also backed up a big upset to reach her first major semifinal. In a matchup of unseeded players, the 25-year-old American defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 2-6, 7-5, 6-1.
   Collins was coming off a 6-0, 6-2 victory over second-seeded Angelique Kerber, who won the first of her three Grand Slam singles titles in the 2016 Australian Open.
   Pavlyuchenkova played for the Sacramento Capitals of World TeamTennis in 2006 at age 15.
   Collins will play eighth-seeded Petra Kvitova, who eliminated 15th-seeded Ashleigh Barty of Australia 6-1, 6-4 to reach her first major semifinal since winning her second Wimbledon title in 2014. Kvitova suffered career-threatening cuts to her left (playing) hand in a knife attack at her home in the Czech Republic in December 2016.
   Kvitova's victory ensures that Simona Halep will be deposed as the world No. 1, wtatennis.com reported. Either Kvitova, Naomi Osaka, Elina Svitolina or Karolina Pliskova will replace Halep. Only Pliskova has been ranked No. 1.
   In the women's doubles quarters, second seeds and defending champions Timea Babos of Hungary and Kristina Mladenovic of France beat ninth-seeded Raquel Atawo (Cal, 2001-04) of Sacramento and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia 6-4, 7-5.

Serena tops Halep for QF berth in Aussie Open

   Serena Williams took a big step in her quest for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title.
   In a matchup of former and current No. 1 players, the 16th-seeded Williams outlasted top-seeded Simona Halep 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 early Monday (California time) for a berth in the Australian Open quarterfinals.
   Williams, who has a residence in Silicon Valley, improved to 9-2 against Halep, including a Williams retirement. They met for the first time since Williams' 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory in the quarterfinals of the 2016 U.S. Open.
   Williams will play seventh-seeded Karolina Pliskova, who dismissed 18th-seeded Garbine Muguruza 6-3, 6-1 in 60 minutes in Melbourne.
   In the other quarterfinal in the top half of the draw, fourth-seeded Naomi Osaka will meet sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina.
   Osaka, who won last year's U.S. Open at 20, advanced despite losing the first set for the second consecutive match. She topped 13th-seeded Anastasia Sevastova of Latvia 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
   Osaka's first big win came in the 2014 Bank of the West Classic at Stanford. As a 16-year-old qualifier playing her first main-draw match on the WTA tour, Osaka ousted 2011 U.S. Open champion Samantha Stosur 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5 in the opening round. Osaka saved a match point in the tiebreaker and overcame a 3-5 deficit in the third set. She then fell to No. 8 seed Andrea Petkovic.
   Svitolina, a semifinalist in the 2015 Bank of the West Classic, beat 17th-seeded Madison Keys, the 2017 Bank of the West champion, 6-2, 1-6, 6-1.
   Williams seeks her first Grand Slam title since the 2017 Australian Open. She has reached two major finals since delivering her first child on Sept. 1, 2017.
   Halep lost to Caroline Wozniacki in last year's Australian Open final after leading by a service break at 4-3 in the third set. Halep, however, defeated Sloane Stephens, who grew up in Fresno, after trailing by a set and a break to win the French Open five months later. Halep had been 0-3 in major finals.
   Williams had not lost more than two games in a set in three Australian Open matches this year. Halep, meanwhile, also was extended to three sets in the first two rounds.
   Halep trailed 4-2 in the third set against 20-year-old American Sofia Kenin, who won the inaugural $60,000 Berkeley Tennis Club Challenge last July, in the second round.
   On the men's side today, 16th-seeded Milos Raonic beat fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-1, 7-6 (5) to reach the quarterfinals. Raonic never lost a set in the SAP Open in San Jose, winning the last three titles (2011-13) before the tournament was discontinued.
   Top-ranked Novak Djokovic, seeking his seventh Australian Open singles crown, beat 15th-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3.
   Djokovic will meet eighth-seeded Kei Nishikori, who outlasted 23rd-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta 6-7 (8), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (8) in 5 hours, 5 minutes. Carreno Busta led 8-5 in the decisive tiebreaker, when a decision by the chair umpire went against him.
   After the match, an irate Carreno Busta threw his racket bag, yelled at the umpire, stormed off the court and continued screaming in the tunnel. He apologized later.
   In a late doubles match between unseeded American teams, Ryan Harrison and San Francisco native Sam Querrey defeated Jack Sock and Jackson Withrow 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Collins crushes Kerber; Federer, Stephens fall

Danielle Collins, playing at Indian Wells last March, demolished second-seeded
Angelique Kerber 6-0, 6-2 today in the fourth round of the Australian Open.
Photo by Mal Taam

   Danielle Collins didn't just beat Angelique Kerber.
   She crushed her.
   Collins, a 25-year-old American, dismissed the second-seeded Kerber 6-0, 6-2 in 56 minutes today in the Australian Open in Melbourne to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.
   Collins overwhelmed Kerber, who won the 2015 Bank of the West Classic at Stanford and 2016 Australian Open for the first of her three major singles titles, with blistering groundstrokes.
   Collins slugged 29 winners to Kerber's six. Both players committed 17 unforced errors.
   "I had a solid warmup, and I was feeling great," Collins, from Tampa, Fla., said in an on-court interview. "My coaches gave me a great game plan, and I executed it well.
   "They said, 'You're physically stronger than her, and you can rally with her. It's up to you.' I was feeling my shots today, so I decided to put the pedal to the metal and put pressure on her."
   Collins, a two-time NCAA singles champion from the University of Virginia, had never won a main-draw match in a Grand Slam tournament until this week. She reached the semifinals in last year's inaugural Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose and the quarterfinals in the 2017 Sacramento Challenger.
   Collins will take on resurgent Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia. The unseeded Pavlyuchenkova, who played for the Sacramento Capitals of World TeamTennis in 2006 at 15, beat fifth-seeded Sloane Stephens, a 25-year-old Fresno product, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-3.
   Another former Australian Open champion, Maria Sharapova, also lost. Ashleigh Barty, seeded 15th, eliminated Sharapova, the 30th seed and 2008 titlist, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 to become the first Australian to reach the quarters in Melbourne since Jelena Dokic in 2009.
   Sharapova was coming off a three-set victory over defending champion Caroline Wozniacki.
   Barty will play Petra Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion who breezed past 17-year-old American Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-1 in 59 minutes. Anisimova won her first professional title in the 2017 Sacramento Challenger at 15.
   On the men's side, 14th-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas, 20, ousted third seed and two-time defending champion Roger Federer 6-7 (11), 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-6 (5) to become the first Greek to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament. Tsitsipas saved four set points in the second set.
   Federer, who has won a record 20 Grand Slam singles titles, failed to reach the quarterfinals for the second consecutive Slam and the semifinals for the fourth major in a row.
   Unseeded American Frances Tiafoe, playing on his 21st birthday, beat 20th seed and friend Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 7-5, 7-6 (6), 6-7 (1), 7-5 to gain his first major quarterfinal.
   Tiafoe, the son of immigrants from Sierra Leone, celebrated by taking off his shirt, slapping his right biceps again, getting down on his knees, lowering his head and slapping the court. He had to compose himself before speaking in an on-court interview.
   "I told my parents 10 years ago that I was going to be a pro to change their lives and my life," said Tiafoe, who will earn at least $330,000 (U.S.). "Now I'm in the quarters of a Slam. It's unbelievable."
   Tiafoe, who won the $100,000 Stockton (Calif.) Challenger in 2016 and ousted fifth-seeded Kevin Anderson in the second round of the Australian Open, will take on Rafael Nadal, the second seed and 2009 Australian Open champion who outclassed unseeded Tomas Berdych 6-0, 6-1, 7-6 (4).
   In doubles, fourth-seeded Bob and Mike Bryan and ninth-seeded Raquel Atawo and Katarina Srebotnik advanced to the men's and women's quarterfinals, respectively.
   The 40-year-old Bryans (Stanford, 1997-98) defeated Spaniards Pablo Carreno Busta and Guillermo Garcia Lopez 6-3, 7-6 (4).
   Atawo (Cal, 2001-04), a 36-year-old Sacramento resident, and Srebotnik, a 37-year-old Slovenian, topped Romanians Irina Bara and Monica Niculescu 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

Ex-world No. 1 to face current No. 1 in Australian Open

   Serena Williams continues to roll in a quest for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title.
   Williams, a 37-year-old part-time resident of Silicon Valley, dismissed 18-year-old Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine 6-2, 6-1 in 67 minutes today in the third round of the Australian Open in Melbourne.
   The 16th-seeded Williams has not lost more than two games in a set in the tournament. The former world No. 1 will face current No. 1 Simona Halep, who dispatched Venus Williams 6-2, 6-3, for a quarterfinal berth.
   Serena Williams is 8-2 against Halep, including a Williams retirement.
   Fourth-seeded Naomi Osaka, the reigning U.S. Open champion, overcame 28th-seeded Hsieh Su-Wei of Chinese Taipei 5-7, 6-4, 6-1. Osaka, 21, of Japan trailed 4-1 (one service break) in the second set.
   Osaka will meet 13th-seeded Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia. Osaka beat Sevastova 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 two weeks ago in the Brisbane quarterfinals to even the head-to-head series 2-2.
   On the men's side, top-ranked Novak Djokovic beat 25th-seeded Denis Shapovalov, a 19-year-old Canadian, 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0.
   Djokovic, a six-time Australian Open champion, will play 15th-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia. Djokovic leads the head-to-head series 2-0.
   In the second round of women's doubles, ninth-seeded Raquel Atawo (Cal, 2001-04) of Sacramento and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia downed Margarita Gasparyan of Russia and Daria Gavrilova of Australia 6-2, 6-4. Both Gasparyan and Gavrilova were born in Moscow.